Tuesday, December 27, 2005

Albanian parties in southern Serbia draft platform demanding autonomy

Text of report by Serbian news agency Beta

Presevo, 26 December: Representatives of Albanian parties and local institutions in Presevo, Bujanovac, and Medvedja have today completed a draft political platform demanding autonomy for the three municipalities within the borders of Serbia.

Mithat Shaqipi, representative of the biggest Albanian party in southern Serbia, the Democratic Party of Albanians (DPA), told BETA that the new platform was based on a "referendum on the political and territorial autonomy of Albanians, held on 1 and 2 March 1992.

"The Albanians' demand in the proposed platform is therefore autonomy for the region of Presevo, Bujanovac, and Medvedja within the borders of Serbia," said Shaqipi, who is a member of the working group that drafted the platform.

Asked when the platform would be presented to the public, Shaqipi said the working group would meet tomorrow in Pristina meet with Veton Surroi and present him the platform. Surroi is a member of the negotiating team of Kosovo.

The platform contains an annex that says that Albanians in southern Serbia would demand unification with Kosovo should there be a chance in Kosovo's borders, BETA was told by a source from the five-member working group that comprises representatives of Albanian parties from southern Serbia.

Division of Kosova will open pandora's box. If Belgrade and the West think that contonizing Kosova along ethnic lines if the way to go, then there shouldn't be a problem with granting those same rights to Albanians and other minorities in Serbia for them to have a decent chance of development. Turn Belgrade's game against it.

Even if the situation doesn't get resolved, time is on our side. The serbs are a null population/zero growth population. By the year 2030, the albanians will be a majority in what is now Serbia/Montenegro. And if Montenegro splits it will be sooner then that. So by numbers alone we have the upper hand. And if they are democratic as they say they are then they have no choice as to share power.

Another thought:

Why just take Kosova when we can take the whole country! I solute the fertility of Albanians and the women that bare our children. God Bless them all!